|
Brae Fell is a fell in the English Lake District
situated 12 kilometres north of Keswick. It reaches a height of 586 m
(1,923 ft) and is regarded as part of the Caldbeck Fells along with High
Pike and Carrock Fell even though it has ridge links to the Uldale
Fells.
The fell's name has Scottish overtones and translates from
the Scots language as a hillside or slope. Its northern flanks face the
Scottish Borders country across the Eden Valley and Solway Firth.
Brae Fell is large and grassy but is really an outlying part of
Great Sca Fell being situated on that fell's northern ridge separated by
a col with a height of approximately 570 metres.
With a height of
less than 2000 feet and prominence of around 16 metres it fails to be a
fell of real importance. Alfred Wainwright gives it a chapter in his
Pictorial Guide to the Lakeland Fells, being less than complimentary,
saying, “If all hills were like Brae Fell there would be far fewer fell
walkers”.
It is best viewed from the low ground to the north
where it shows off its full height.
Brae Fell was mined in the
nineteenth century for Lead and the mine lies on its eastern slopes just
above Roughton Gill where large spoil tips remain to this day.
The top of the fell is strewn with a few boulders and there is a fair
sized cairn which is a landmark for several kilometres around. The view
from the summit is one of the finest in the Northern Fells with the
panorama north taking in the Solway Firth, Scottish Borders and the
northern Pennines.
Brae Fell is often climbed in conjunction with
other fells in the area and a direct ascent of the fell is usually
undertaken from the minor road that skirts the northern slopes.
There is no fence so the climb can start anywhere along its length
although there is a vague path amongst the grass which leads to the
summit.
|
